Full terms & conditions for Crowland Cake Creations (“we” / “us” / “our”) are detailed below. By paying your deposit it will be deemed that the terms and conditions are understood and accepted as applying to your booking.
PRICES
All prices are non-negotiable and priced according to your exact design and the size of your cake. Following your consultation / enquiry, your quote is valid for 7 days for celebration cakes and 14 days for wedding cakes. Paying a non-refundable booking fee will secure this price & your booking in the diary.
BOOKING FEES
All bookings are provisional until a non-refundable booking fee is paid. The booking fee amount is £100 for wedding cakes or 50% of the total booking value for celebration cakes. This secures the commission of your cake and chosen date with us.
If your celebration cake booking fee is not paid within 7 days of quoting (celebration cakes) or 14 days (wedding cakes) we reserve the right to cancel your provisional booking.
PAYMENT
Payments should be made by bank transfer. The account details will be provided at the point you indicate that you would like to place an order. We will acknowledge receipt of the payment as soon as possible.
Alternatively, payment can be made in cash. If paying in cash – please place the cash in an envelope and post it through the letterbox at our home address (details given on request). Please ensure that you write the following on the envelope: Your name, the date of the function / or collection date if different and a mobile number. A text message or e-mail will be sent to acknowledge receipt.
Final payment (total value of the booking less the booking fee) is required no later than 6 weeks before the collection / delivery for wedding cakes or 14 days before collection for celebration cakes. It is your responsibility to remember to send this payment, as a reminder invoice is not issued. If the final payment has not been made by this date we reserve the right to cancel your booking.
If you wish to pay by instalment this can be arranged but the final instalment must be received no later than the final payment due date.
Please note that we do not accept cheques, PayPal or card payments.
CANCELLATION – WEDDING BOOKINGS
Cancellation must be made by e-mail to us and will only be deemed to take effect from the date your e-mail is received. You will receive an e-mail acknowledgement. On receipt of your confirmation to us, the notice period becomes effective and the cancellation charges as detailed below will apply.
Fees for cancellations are shown below and are based on the total value of the booking:
- 0 – 12 weeks prior to the wedding date: 100%
- 12 – 18 weeks prior to the wedding date: 75%
- 18 – 24 weeks prior to the wedding date: 50%
If cancellation of an order takes place more than 24 weeks prior to the wedding date we reserve the right to retain your non-refundable deposit.
If you postpone the event we will endeavour to transfer your booking provided we have availability for the new date, otherwise it will be treated as a cancellation.
We reserve the right to cancel your booking in the event of circumstances beyond our control. Any payments already made in respect of the booking will be refunded in full. In the unlikely circumstances that we need to cancel the booking as much notice as possible will be given.
CANCELLATION – CELEBRATION CAKE BOOKINGS
Cancellation must be made by e-mail to us and will only be deemed to take effect from the date your e-mail is received. You will receive an e-mail acknowledgement. On receipt of your confirmation to us, the notice period becomes effective and the cancellation charges as detailed below will apply.
Fees for cancellations are shown below and are based on the total value of the booking:
- 0 – 7 days prior to the collection date: 100%
- 7 – 14 days prior to the collection date: 50%
If cancellation of an order takes place more than 14 days prior to the collection date we reserve the right to retain your non-refundable deposit.
If you postpone the event we will endeavour to transfer your booking provided we have availability for the new date, otherwise it will be treated as a cancellation.
We reserve the right to cancel your booking in the event of circumstances beyond our control. Any payments already made in respect of the booking will be refunded in full. In the unlikely circumstances that we need to cancel the booking as much notice as possible will be given.
ALTERATIONS AND CHANGES
For wedding cake bookings you will be sent a confirmation schedule with a description of your wedding cake after the payment of the deposit. It is your responsibility to check that this meets with your requirements and raise any issues with us at the time of receipt if there are any discrepancies.
Any item shown as “to be confirmed” must be finalised no later than six weeks before the wedding date.
If you wish to make any changes, we will endeavour to adjust the design where possible, but sometimes this is not possible according to the nature of the request or amount of notice given. If the alteration affects the cost, or preparation work for the original design has already been undertaken, then your balance will be adjusted accordingly. Please advise us when you pay your deposit if you are undecided on the design.
We reserve the right to change the design at any point if circumstances beyond our control may compromise the quality of the finished cake, e.g. Melting due to weather.
For celebration cakes, if additional design elements are requested after a quote for a design has been given, these will affect the cost and these additional charges will be added to the amount due for the cake. Changes or additions can be requested at any point until the balancing payment becomes due.
CHOCOLATE / BUTTERCREAM / SEMI-NAKED CAKES
We recommend extreme caution if you are considering a cake decorated with chocolate or buttercream for a summer wedding (May-September) or celebration. We cannot accept responsibility for any melting of the cake once it has left our possession, as we have no control over the environment / venue temperature. We can however advise you of designs that are less susceptible to melting and do everything within our control to reduce the impact on the cake.
FLOWERS
If your cake requires fresh flowers, then these are not included in the price. We will liaise with your florist but expect you to make all the necessary arrangements with the florists. Please note we are not responsible for any problems with your fresh flowers.
We cannot take responsibility for any damage rendered to the cake caused by a floral arrangement that was implemented by your florist.
If fresh flowers are used for wedding cakes, the cake will be set-up as late as feasibly possible to ensure their freshness throughout the day, but depending on the varieties used & the weather conditions at the time, it may be necessary to cut the cake relatively early on in the proceedings to ensure their freshness for the photography.
It is your responsibility to notify your florist of your intention to use fresh flowers / foliage etc on your cake to ensure that the varieties of flowers you intend to use are suitable for use on food products as some types are toxic.
If fresh flowers are used for celebration cakes you should liaise with your florist – as above – as they are best placed to advise you on the varieties to be used, the weather conditions on the day of the function and the suitability for use on food products.
SPECIAL DIETS
Please discuss with us, at the time of ordering, if you or any of your guests have special dietary requirements. We are able to provide gluten free, dairy free, gluten and dairy free, nut free and vegan cakes and cupcakes but please be aware that although ingredients such as nuts, eggs, dairy produce or gluten containing ingredients can be removed from the products, these ingredients are still used in our kitchen on a regular basis. So, whilst we make every effort to avoid cross – contamination we cannot guarantee that any of our cakes are completely free of them.
NON-EDIBLE ITEMS
Most cakes contain small proportions of inedible items; it is your responsibility to ensure these are removed by yourself or your caterer/guests before consumption e.g. Supports in tiered cakes, ribbon, wires in sugar flowers, etc.
DELIVERY / COLLECTION
Wedding cake quotes include delivery to and set up at your chosen venue unless collection is requested at the time of the consultation.
If you choose delivery, it is our intention that your cake will be delivered in perfect condition prior to the start of your wedding. However, we ask for patience with factors that may be beyond our control (e.g. traffic conditions) as we cannot be held liable for any such delays.
It is your responsibility to ensure you inform us of your correct ceremony and event time plus the postcode of the venue. In the unlikely event of late delivery, the maximum compensation will be a refund of the delivery charge.
We cannot be held liable for any damage that is rendered to the cake at the venue once we have left the premises. It is with this in mind that we require somebody responsible, to check and sign for the cake to confirm that it is in perfect condition before we leave. If there are no staff / caterers available at the venue when we deliver we ensure that time stamped photos are taken to provide evidence of the cake’s condition before we leave the venue.
If you chose to collect your cake, we will not be held liable for any damage to the cake once it has left our premises. Tiered cakes are most at risk during transportation; we highly recommend you check your wedding insurance covers cake damage. To ensure your cake is as fresh as possible, your cake would only be available for collection the day before the wedding.
We will provide appropriate packaging for every cake being collected and advice and guidance on the best way to transport the cake to avoid any damage.
Late requests for delivery (after securing the booking based on collection) will be accommodated where possible, but cannot be guaranteed, as earlier delivery commitments will take priority. An additional charge will be made for the delivery.
CAKE SET UP
It is your responsibility to ensure arrangements are made for the cake table, linen, cake stand (if using the venue’s own stand or if you are providing your own stand) & knife, which should all be set up prior to our arrival. Please take extra care to ensure a stable cake table is available if you are having a marquee wedding, as surrounding floorboards can easily rock the cake once stood on.
DAMAGE
Please remember that cake decorations are very delicate items, and we cannot accept responsibility for damage that is done to the cake after it has left our possession.
If any damage is rendered to the cake after it has left our possession, then you can advise us and request a repair, which will be costed accordingly, including transport costs if appropriate if we are able to accommodate returning to the venue.
PORTION GUIDE
Our portion guides are intended as a guide only. This will vary dependent upon how the cake is cut.
BEST BEFORE DATE / STORAGE CONDITIONS
Your cake is baked to ensure it is fresh for the date of your celebration, we cannot guarantee its quality if it is consumed more than 48 hours after the event. Our cakes are made entirely of natural ingredients, so they will not have the extended shelf life of most supermarket cakes, which contain additives and preservatives to ensure their prolonged life.
If you plan to keep any of the cake tiers, please advise us accordingly and we will leave additional cake boxes (so that you can safely transport them home the following day). A large cake box is always provided to the venue for any leftover cake.
Sugar paste cakes should not be refrigerated, as it will cause condensation to form on the surface of the icing.
Cake boxes will also be left with the venue with storage instructions for any sugar flowers which are on the cake.
HIRE OF CAKE STANDS
If cake stand hire is included in the booking a security deposit will be required no later than 3 days before the wedding date. The amount of the deposit depends on the cake stand being used but will be between £50 and £100. The deposit is refundable conditional upon the cake stand being returned to us in the condition it was supplied within FIVE days of the wedding. The bank account details of an account of your choice will need to be provided to enable us to return the deposit to you by electronic funds transfer unless the deposit was paid in cash – in which case the deposit will be returned in cash.
We have the right to substitute the chosen stand with a suitable alternative if circumstances beyond our control mean that we are unable to supply the original.
We have the right to withhold all or part of the deposit if the cake stand is not returned within five days after the wedding or is damaged in any way.
COMPLAINTS
Complaints are very rare and due to the amount of work put into each individual cake we take them very seriously.
Both parties agree not to post any negative information about the other arising out of this Contract or Event on any online forum or website without providing advance written notice of the intended content thereof, and providing the other party with a prior opportunity to resolve any issues between the parties amicably.
Where the complaint is in regards to the quality of the cake then the cake, or remainder of the cake/tier, must be returned to us as soon as possible after cutting and within 48 hours of collection/delivery to ensure that we are able to fairly assess the nature of the complaint.
Refunds are at our discretion.
GENERAL
All designs and intellectual property rights remain the property of Crowland Cake Creations.
We reserve the right to use images of your cake for any form of advertising including web-based promotions, brochures, galleries and competitions.
This Agreement together with Order Confirmation constitute the entire agreement and understanding between the parties relating to the order. Except as may be expressly stated in this Agreement, it supersedes and cancels all prior agreements, statements, representations, understandings, negotiations and discussions, whether oral or written, between the parties. Each of the parties acknowledges and agrees that in entering into this Agreement it does not rely on any statement, representation, warranty or understanding made prior to this Agreement save to the extent that such statement, representation, warranty or understanding is incorporated into this Agreement. Each of the parties acknowledges and agrees that in entering into this Agreement it has not relied on (or has been induced to enter into this Agreement by) any statement, representation, warranty or understanding made prior to this Agreement. Nothing in this paragraph excludes any liability for fraudulent misrepresentation.
In the event that any one or more such provisions of this Agreement should be deemed to be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining valid and enforceable provisions thereof which shall be construed as if such invalid or unenforceable provisions had not been inserted.
The parties agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
Any headings utilised in this Agreement have been inserted for the convenience of reference only and should in no way restrict or otherwise affect the construction of the terms and conditions hereof.